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AUSTIN ISD BUDGET BARRIERS Austin ISD is facing a $53 million de cit for the 2023-24 school year due to a large pay raise package board trustees passed. The district has been facing budgetary issues as its recapture payments grow and enrollment decreases.
73,000—continuing over the past decade; however, the exact total will not be available until later this fall. There are several factors that contribute to declining student enrollment in AISD, including the high cost of living and increased competition from educational alternatives, such as charter and private schools, said Christy Rome, the executive director of the Texas School Coalition. the trend seen District o cials said they plan to build relation- ships with families, increase front-o ce sta capac- ity and modernize technology systems to make it easy for families to communicate and receive information. Interim Superintendent Matias Segura, who assumed the role Jan. 3, also said the administration is working toward being more diligent and open with its families. “As a result of decisions made by previous district o cials before my time as interim superintendent, resources needed for instruction to occur with del- ity across the district were not su cient,” Segura said. “We have been working with the new board since February to create processes that align with the values and culture of AISD and are very hopeful for its success.” Budget crunches The loss of additional funding due to a decreased student population has exacerbated the budget shortfall anticipated by district o cials for the 2023- 24 school year. The district anticipates a shortfall of $70 million but will make up $53 million using COVID-19 relief dollars called Elementary and Sec- ondary School Emergency Relief II funds. All Texas public school districts are given a per-stu- dent allotment of $6,160 from the state. AISD Chief Financial O cer Eduardo Ramos said that number has not increased since 2019 despite the estimated in ation rate of 17% in that time. To keep up with in ation, Ramos said the state would need to increase the student allotment by at least $1,000; however, no increase was approved during the regular legislative session. A second special session to address school nance could take place this fall. “We have gotten zero from the state for additional per-student funding,” said Lynn Boswell, District 5 trustee and board secretary, at a June 22 meeting.
“We are now facing painful choices that impact our students.” Although largely due to a historic pay raise passed by trustees May 18, the budget shortfall will result in sta ng cutbacks, Ramos said. Some of those include delaying the hiring of positions such as teachers, athletic trainers and sta at schools throughout the district. Texas School Coalition o cials said declining enrollment also means Austin must pay more in recapture. “Recapture is the current ‘Robin Hood’ system in Texas, which basically requires wealthy districts to send a portion of [their] taxes to the state,” Ramos said. “So we send funds back to the state—over 55% of our tax collections, [or] about $940.5 million—which leaves us with $922 million to operate the district.” The recapture payment made by AISD was the larg- est in the state at $710.6 million in 2022—$512.8 mil- lion more than any other district. “AISD leadership understands the tough decisions we’re going to have to make, but this is a result of where we stand with the current public education funding system,” Segura said. Alternative choices As re ected in TEA data, while AISD has demon- strated a trend of declining enrollment over the past decade, private schools, such as St. Andrew’s Episco- pal and Magellan International, have witnessed sig- ni cant growth. “Austin has [bene ted] from years of growth, which has certainly [contributed] to our increased enrollment at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. Our students represent more than 45 di erent zip codes in the Austin area and come from a variety of edu- cational backgrounds: other private schools, home schools, public schools and more,” said Catherine Ervin, director of advancement at St. Andrew’s Epis- copal School, in a statement. AISD is not alone with a decline in enrollment, however. Rome said she has seen similar patterns in other urban school districts. Round Rock ISD is one of those districts whose enrollment began to dip during the COVID-19 pan- demic. Similarly, Eanes ISD’s enrollment was stable until the pandemic in 2020. In response, Segura said
1.15% Federal tax 3.73% State tax 95.12% Local tax
Texas school districts are primarily funded through property tax. Districts are given a basic allotment, currently $6,160 per student, to educate them. Many advocates have
REVENUE $1.79B
argued to increase the basic allotment, which would allow districts to keep more revenue, but it has not been increased since 2019. Data shows that basic enrollment would need to be $7,313 to keep up with in ation.
7% Other 43% Payroll 50% State recapture Property wealthy districts, such as Austin ISD, are required to send funds to the state as recapture—or money used to fund poorer
EXPENDITURES $1.86B*
districts. AISD pays the highest rate of recapture in the state. In 2015, recapture made up roughly 17% of the district’s expenditures. *AISD'S EXPENDITURES TOTAL $70 MILLION MORE THAN THE REVENUE, HOWEVER THE DISTRICT WILL USE $17 MILLION IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMERGENCY RELIEF II FUNDS TO NARROW THE GAP
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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